Obama not to attend Washington financial summit

[babylonsister]

So much for wh cooperation...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/11/obama_not_to_attend_washington.php


Obama not to attend Washington financial summit

REUTERS
Reuters North American News Service

Nov 10, 2008 12:11 EST

CHICAGO (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama will not attend the global financial summit in Washington on Nov. 14-15, an aide said Monday.

The Bush administration has called the summit of the countries representing the world's leading economies to begin thrashing out a strategy for dealing with the global financial crisis. Obama takes over as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

[DrToast]

1. I think Obama chose not to go.

[TahitiNut]

10. It'd be a wise choice.

:shrug:

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Only one President at a time.

[bdamomma]

4. exactly.

[babylonsister]

5. Then the wrong one will be showing up. Might have been a good

opportunity for Obama. Oh well...

[high density]

3. Bush said the president-elect would be invited

The fact that Obama is not going is probably out of a desire to skip a Bushco circle-jerk.

[Inuca]

9. That's what I remember as well n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. "Well see..... somethin kinda funny happened after I said that......

....see, I figgered my boys had the election rigged for McCain,
so I went ahead and invited him. I never meant to invite the other guy.

[babylonsister]

12. Ha! Could be! nt

[babylonsister]

6. Calls for Barack Obama to attend G20 summit**Foreign leaders want Obama there

Calls for Barack Obama to attend G20 summit

Calls are growing for Barack Obama to attend the G20 financial summit in Washington amid fears the event will be pointless if he isn't there.


By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 6:20PM GMT 07 Nov 2008


Foreign leaders are queuing up to meet the President-Elect on the sidelines of next weekend's meeting on the global crisis.

But uncertainty hangs over the role Mr Obama will play at the two-day meeting, which is planned to be the first of several designed to discuss measures for responding to the meltdown and ways to prevent future crises.

Both the White House and Mr Obama's aides have claimed he will follow the traditional low-profile role of a president-elect during the transition from election to inauguration.

But a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters the situation was not so clear-cut.

"We are consulting closely with the president-elect's team. We are seeking their views and input. This effort will obviously scramble the two administrations and it will be up to the president-elect as to how he would like to have input," the official said.

But given the scale of the crisis he may get the green light from George W Bush's White House to either attend or hold meetings on the sidelines with leaders he will soon be working with.

James Wolfensohn, the former head of the World Bank, said it would be absurd if Mr Obama did not attend.

"I don't think any of the foreign leaders are going to look for guidance to President Bush at this time. They are going to look to Barack Obama.

"I know that half of them are coming here in the expectation that Obama will be invited. If he is not invited, you are not going to get much out of these meetings because they do expect president Bush is going to be able to deliver," he said.

more...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/3400720/Calls-for-Barack-Obama-to-attend-G20-summit.html

[mikiturner]

7. This wasn't a snub by the WH

Pres. Elect Obama has decided not to attend.

[babylonsister]

8. Do you have a link? Thanks. nt

[SurfingAtWork]

13. If his not attending is his idea, it is a poor one imo.

[Sensitivity]

14. Obviously needs clarification -- since most leaders are coming to meet Obama